High school athletes choose diverse summer activities to build for their futures

CaptionPaige Burkett and CJ Reuland, Towson field hockey

Gene Sweeney Jr., Baltimore Sun

Paige Burkett (in yellow) and CJ Reuland (in blue)love playing field hockey so much that they decided to share their passion with some of the little girls in their neighborhoods. Last year, they started a weeklong field hockey camp through the Towson Recreation Council to introduce girls 8 to...

Paige Burkett (in yellow) and CJ Reuland (in blue)love playing field hockey so much that they decided to share their passion with some of the little girls in their neighborhoods. Last year, they started a weeklong field hockey camp through the Towson Recreation Council to introduce girls 8 to... (Gene Sweeney Jr., Baltimore Sun)

Southern rising senior Ben Carrier stays active throughout the school year -- running for the cross country team in the fall, wrestling in the winter and playing lacrosse in the spring for the Bulldogs. The summer keeps him equally busy, challenged and uniquely rewarded. In high school, Carrier...

Southern rising senior Ben Carrier stays active throughout the school year -- running for the cross country team in the fall, wrestling in the winter and playing lacrosse in the spring for the Bulldogs. The summer keeps him equally busy, challenged and uniquely rewarded. In high school, Carrier... (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

Leshaia Davis-Johnson knew she wanted to be a doctor at an early age, so she is jump-starting her career during her high school summers. As a MERIT Baltimore scholar, Davis-Johnson is spending her second summer in a local hospital, gaining insight about what it means to be a doctor. She spent...

Leshaia Davis-Johnson knew she wanted to be a doctor at an early age, so she is jump-starting her career during her high school summers. As a MERIT Baltimore scholar, Davis-Johnson is spending her second summer in a local hospital, gaining insight about what it means to be a doctor. She spent... (Barbara Haddock Taylor, Baltimore Sun)

While spending six weeks in California this summer, Rex Ledesma will take time to soak up the sun and run on the beach, but the rising junior will spend most of his time in a research laboratory. Backed by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's Young Scholars Program, Ledesma will be paired with a...

While spending six weeks in California this summer, Rex Ledesma will take time to soak up the sun and run on the beach, but the rising junior will spend most of his time in a research laboratory. Backed by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's Young Scholars Program, Ledesma will be paired with a... (Handout photo)

Nevone McCrimmon knows that if he wants to play major college football, this summer is a crucial time. The rising junior, an All-Metro second-team selection at running back last fall, is making sure college coaches know who he is by attending five one-day camps on the East Coast. He is also...

Nevone McCrimmon knows that if he wants to play major college football, this summer is a crucial time. The rising junior, an All-Metro second-team selection at running back last fall, is making sure college coaches know who he is by attending five one-day camps on the East Coast. He is also... (Gene Sweeney Jr., Baltimore Sun)

With one school year in the rearview mirror and another quickly approaching, high school athletes have only so much freedom during the summer. Instead of spending their time playing video games, going to the movies or hanging out with friends, these local athletes are finding ways to help...